Vehicle Licensing Questions

I believe it is illegal and am certain that a car will not pass its inspection with tinted plastic over the number plates – can you confirm? If it is illegal, then why are so many drivers blatantly driving with their plates obscured? The only reason I can see for making your plates hard to read […]

Are there any rules that apply to the increasing number of large, poorly driven and maintained trucks that threaten the safety of motorists using Shamrock Road? I have seen a speeding truck pass a school bus as children were alighting, trucks that spill their wet load onto vehicles behind, numerous trucks that belch thick black smoke […]

I start by referencing one of your previous Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) answers (see New licence plates should have original numbers): “A customer can request a new number and he or she would have to pay to make that change. Or, if the new plates were ready for collection but it turns out […]

My son-in-law visiting several years ago, who had obtained a Cayman driving licence when he used to work here more than a decade ago, was asked to pay all back fees for his old Cayman licence in order to drive here whilst on holiday. Is that nonsensical rule still in place? Auntie’s answer: A Department […]

As a foreigner who lives here on the islands, one is obliged to obtain a local driving licence on top of the licence one has acquired abroad. Now, I was told that if you miss a certain deadline, you have to take a new test in written and practical form. But the problem seems to […]

A colleague of mine has just advised that the licensing department can no longer provide vehicle inspections in rainy weather. Is this true? Being that we have hurricane season five months out of the year, is this realistic? Do you know what the reason for this rule is if it’s in fact true? Auntie’s answer: […]

I recently had my car serviced and I had the garage take it to motor licensing to have it inspected and I assumed have the plates swapped for the new white plates. On picking up my car I noticed that I still had the old yellow plates. The garage told me that my plates were […]

Any word on the status of personalised plates? Auntie’s answer: There has been a lot of interest of late about the chip-enabled licence plates and the process of exchanging old ones for new ones. As for your question, I have been told by an official with the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing that DVDL […]

When the DVDL first began switching out old licence plates for the new ones containing a chip, I thought we were supposed to get the same registration number. I recently picked up my new plates and discovered they had a completely different number. It seems easy enough to print a plate with the same number […]

Why are the new licence plates not available at the Breakers and West Bay locations of the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL)? You go and get your vehicle inspected and licensed at these two places, then have to go to the Crewe Road office to pick up your new licence plates. Such an inconvenience […]

Do you have any idea if these ‘ordinary looking’ bicycles which appear to be equipped with motors are required to have vehicle licences and do their riders require drivers’ licences? The reason I ask is because it is now a fairly regular sight to see these things “shooting” down the road and some are even driven […]

For online driver’s licence renewals do you really have to go in to an actual DVDL location to ‘get a number’ to be able to renew your licence online? And if so, I think the DVDL have missed the point about online services! On the government e-services portal, it says, “ESID (required to register for online […]

I know that DVDL is telling people to come pick up their new licence plates. To replace them, we are supposed to bring in our old plates, logbook and windscreen coupon. I’m confused why we have to peel off the old coupon to get our new plate. Seems a waste of time to do that […]

I am totally confused with this new DVDL coupon thing. My wife got her new plates and renewed her vehicle licence to December 2018. The new fiddly little coupon clearly shows 2017 and DVDL tells me that’s correct. Why would it not show December 2018 as the new expiry date? I’m totally confused and as […]

I will be visiting your fine island and saw your earlier article stating that it was no longer a requirement for a US-licensed driver to get a permit to drive in the Cayman Islands. I just got off the phone with DVDL and was told that all visitors to the island have to get a […]

I see the police are going to be using ATVs. I am wondering if they will be driving these on the road as well as the beach. Can you find out? Auntie’s answer: As you note, the RCIPS recently purchased two all-terrain vehicles to be used for patrolling the beach and off-road areas. The police […]

As a Caymanian I recently travelled to Jamaica using my British passport on which I encountered resistance as I attempted to check in at the Cayman Airways counter in Kingston. The supervisor immediately asked that I show proof of residency in Cayman in order to board as I have no stamp in the passport to […]

I attempt to recycle everything I can and even make product choices based on packaging. My question is, since all the recyclables are shipped off island for processing anyway, why are we only recycling types 1 and 2 of plastic through the DoE? Surely it would be to Cayman’s benefit to send everything we can […]

I just read that a CNN poll found that 12% of American adults had never even heard of Mike Pence, which suggests that about 30 million voters have no clue who the vice president is, let alone what he stands for, which is astounding. That made me think, is civics taught in Cayman schools, such […]

(CNS Foodie): I found myself in the mood for Thai food and thought what better place to go than Thai House Restaurant? It’s located in the heart of George Town in Elizabethan Square. I think a lot of us may forget about it because of its location (and lack of parking) but it definitely has […]

(CNS Foodie): Tucked away in a quiet corner, just beyond the splendidly decorated foyer of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, is an unassuming set of wooden sliding doors, which remain locked until 6pm each day. Once opened, this portal transitions patrons from the bright, cheerful environment of the adjoining Silver Palm Lounge to a dimly lit […]

(CNS Foodie): After a day spent in East End enjoying a break and a change of pace, my partner and I decided a fitting way to end our little “adventure” was to try out the newest spot in the district, Taco Cantina. Turning into what may very well be the smallest parking lot in the […]

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